BikerBabe

LOL...another long post coming! Agree on the locked leg exits. I didn't really "get" the exit until I did it on my own, and it came off just right. I think in the back of my mind I was relaxing and thinking I didn't have to work as hard since my legs were locked with the coach's. As for progression, the first 2 dives were just trying to get stable in a sit. Then I went out and got rip-roaring drunk, woke up with a hangover, and the first jump of the morning, I was in a stable sit, did 360's, and even a stand! Something about beer and clarity of the mind, I guess... ;) But seriously, one thing the coach did to help with 360's was he carved around me and I just made sure to keep eye contact with him...voila! 360's! I really think the key, no matter how fast or slow the student is progressing, is for the coach to emphasize taking it slow and steady. On those first couple of jumps, it was taking me around 5 seconds to go from flying on my back to a sit, because I was concentrating so hard on pushing my legs down slowly, cleanly, and evenly. But it really worked. It was the exact same going from the sit to the stand...push those legs down nice and slow. I'm no expert, I'm still practicing all the elements in a sit (still can't get those darned back flips!), but I had a great coaching experience. Another thing that helped (and this will definitely not apply to the majority of people you'll coach) is that I had 300 belly jumps before I started this. Now, I know jump numbers alone isn't enough to judge someone's ability, but sheer jump numbers really does help with your air sense, and helps you know how your body moves in freefall. The turns in the sit came really natural to me, because I instinctively knew what different inputs would do. The more time you have in the air, the easier it is to learn new things. I'm sort of in the opposite boat...just learning freeflying, but interested in coaching RW. One thing I plan on telling anyone I coach is to go learn the "other" discipline. The more you know about flying, the better you'll be at whatever you choose to do. Seriously, when I watch Airspeed's vertical transitions, I see where knowing how to freefly can only help. So I decided to try to become a more "all-around" type of skydiver.

You said to get stable then get coaching, but I disagree. I honestly didn't know HOW to get stable without getting a couple of coach dives to start out with. Seriously, I thought I was doing it right, then when I saw myself on video for the first time, I was like "Sheesh, I'm a goober". I was on my back the whole time. So I took a weekend, went to AZ, and paid for real coaching...and in 7 jumps I was able to do a stable sit, 360's, cartwheels, and even a stable stand. Without that initial coaching push, I'd still be flopping around on my back... What worked for me was the coach telling me to slow down, don't try to shove yourself into a sit on the very first try. Start on your back and slowly push your legs down into the sit position. yeah, that took me a couple of jumps to master, but it was worth it having someone up there with me who could tell me that my right leg was causing me to cork every single time. Actually, the best part was when I finally got it, being able to actually see the other person and know I was doing it right. sorry...that was a long post!

Only one, on jump number 9! It was my first solo freefall (excluding my first five jumps, which were 10-sec delays on a round) using a square, which had a ripcord/spring-loaded pilot chute. The ripcord had a notch, caught on the closing loop, and I had a hard pull. Went to my reserve, and the opening shock of the reserve knocked the ripcord out of the closing loop, opening the main. The two canopies immediately started downplaning, so I chopped the main, kicked out of the massive line twists in the reserve, turned upwind, and landed. That was a shitty jump! But the emergency procedures were like clockwork, and I wasn't scared at all. Actually, I really wasn't scared until after I landed and was packing...THEN I about lost it! I guess the procedures were so automatic that I didn't really have to think about what to do, just did it. Something to be said about practice and repetition!

LOL...I was just going to say...the Bent Prop is the ONLY night life in Eloy! Lot's of drunk whuffos to play mind games with, too...

oh, boy, this was a great weekend... sex:jumps:beer 0:10:2 No sex because my hubby's out of town, so I went to Eloy and made my first balloon jump and my first (plus six more) freefly jump. If you want to learn to freefly, go get some coach jumps at Eloy. They rock! Woohoo! You'd think, living in Albuquerque (the balloon capitol of the world), that I'd have a balloon jump by now...nope! Had to go to Eloy to do it!

Wow...this thread was just what I was thinking about today on my flight home from Eloy. I had 300 belly-fly/RW jumps, and I decided I wanted to learn (or at least try) freeflying. My advice would be (LOL...I just mastered a sit/stand this weekend, so take it for what it's worth), find someone who is really good, can wear a camera, and is willing to coach you. I made 7 coach dives this weekend (call up AZ Freeflight if you can get out there), and I went from not even being able to hold a sit on the first jump to a stable sit with 360's, flips, and cartwheels, as well as a stable stand. In 7 jumps! Now, I'll admit, since I had 300 jumps beforehand, my air sense might be better than someone starting to freefly with 50 jumps. But a good coach, with video, can tell you what you're doing right and wrong. I decided I want to become an all-around skydiver...I'll admit, freeflying is great when you go to a new DZ and don't have anyone to jump with. That being said, I'm also going to the Airspeed 4-way skills camp at the end of the month! ITA with AndyMan...being a good all-around flier is what we should strive for. Jumping at Eloy this weekend...Airspeed Vertical did a bunch of training jumps, but on the last two loads of the day, those guys were up there freeflying, too. Besides, if you've ever closely watched Airspeed turning points, a lot of time they are not flat on their belly by any means...those vertical transitions require skills that might best be learned by freeflying. Sorry...just my $0.02 after a kickass weekend!

Well, the largest US DZ that isn't a USPA group member (at least it wasn't last year) is probably Skydive Greene County in Ohio. It's also the oldest DZ in the country. They had a dispute with USPA over the new training programs, so they pulled out. But it is one of the biggest, best, and safest DZ's I've ever jumped at. They have a CASA, a Westwind Beech, and a cessna or two (I think). Just letting you know.

I still enjoy roller coasters. No, not as much adrenaline as skydiving, but I swear, nothing can ever beat The Beast! The Beast is the best roller coaster ever designed. 4 and a half minutes of pure wooden roller coaster hell! Better than most of the new ones they're building! C'mon, those of you in and around Ohio who have been to Kings Island know what I'm talking about!

Well, the asking price is $500, so that's about equivalent, isn't it? LOL...I don't know the value of the pound to the dollar these days.

It's a Stilletto with 1000 jumps on it, just re-lined less than 100 jumps ago. I jumped it and it seems well-maintained, but I'm wondering what a ballpark figure might be...or should I just pass on it and find something with fewer total jumps on it? Thanks.

wow, that's a loooong way to come for the skills camp! I ride a Suzuki SV-650...it rocks! yes, I'll probably get more jumps there in that week than I'll get the entire rest of the year, which is why I'm so excited. See you there!

it was a great recruiting tool, and I got free jumps and gear out of the deal! That was the only bad thing about graduating...I had to go buy my own stuff!

LOL...I don't know the details, but I'd be willing to bet most of the trophies were split between the Wings of Blue (Air Force Academy) and West Point!

Hmmm...my PM function seems to not be working... Thanks! I'll probably tent it, but I live in NM, so I'll have my car with me. I guess the only thing I'm really worried about is my gear! I have ordered a new suit, helmet and audible, but I don't know if they'll come in time (especially the helmet). is a full-face a must? What about the audible? What are the days like...jump all day every day? is there ever a break? Should I start going to the gym? LOL. Thanks!

One of my faves is just your basic 360's. Either launch the two-way or fly it from the exit, then dock facing each other. if you're less experienced, have one person fall straight while the other does a 360, then dock, then the other does a 360. More experienced, then you can both do a 360 at the same time, then re-dock. I like to do this one with people I've never jumped with before...helps you judge fall rate problems, and also helps you work on staying in proximity while turning. Also, it will help you know what to correct for in those eventual points where you'll have to back into the formation. Another variation is the backflips mentioned above.

Thanks! I'm really excited...I'll get more jumps there than I'll get the rest of the year, for one thing! Did you sleep at the DZ? I've only jumped at Eloy once, and it was a loooong time ago, I don't remember anything about it.

Has anyone been to one? I'm going to the one at the end of February, just wondering what it's like, etc. Thanks!

All of the above is really good advice. I'm 5'1" and I weigh around 115, and I had a huge problem, but I learned how to fall fast by necessity (I was jumping with a bunch of big guys). I think the best advice I ever got (and it sounds cheesy) was to just relax. Not "lose your body position" relax, but don't strain yourself, either. The arch should come naturally, not so that you're sore after one jump because you're straining so hard to arch. of course, now when I jump with new people they think because I'm small, I fall slow, and they don't try to crank it as much as they could...and I go low! :)

Nope, Albuquerque...they just closed our airport! The Indian reservation wanted their land back, and they gave everyone using the airport 60 days to pack up and ship out. That's right, they told us in September, and closed the airport at the end of November...Luckily, the club (skydive NM) owns some land south of the city that we can use as a landing area. But we still don't have our own airplane!

I was there whenever I was home from college (that's been about 3 years ago), then some two summers ago. Not much, though, because I was healing from a broken wrist and couldn't jump most of the summer. Then I moved to skydiving Antarctica...where a plane shows up once a month!

yes, it does. God, I miss that airplane. As a matter of fact, I miss ANY airplane. My skydiving life sucks. On a happy note, we WILL have a plane this weekend!

Yes, well...my "home" DZ's before this were the Air Force Academy (2 otters), then Greene County in Ohio (Casa)...man, it blows living here now, with a club DZ that occasionally gets Calhan's 206 for the weekend. This weekend will be my first jumps in a month...

I chose my current home DZ because...well...it's the only friggin' one in the entire state! And sometimes we even have an airplane! (key word: sometimes) urrrrggghhh!

Motorcycling! Roadracing! Look at my nic...what do you think my other hobby is? Seriously, though, I would say that more than half of the folks I jump with ride, as well. We even have a DZ motorcycle club! I'll pass on the breasts, but if you had the chippendales or something like that, well...

A bunch of folks from my home DZ (Cessna 182's) went to a boogie at a DZ with a plane without GPS. Now, this boogie was located relatively close to one of the largest DZ's in the country, and a lot of folks from that DZ were at the boogie. This exact same conversation came up several times, since about 2 out of 5 loads landed out on the first day. By the end of the first day, we were making sure to be the first group out of whatever load we were on, so one of us could spot the load. I was taught how to skydive and JM by the Air Force, and spotting was essential. Of course, this was pre-GPS. We were not only told and shown how to spot, but we had to throw wind drift indicators from 3000 ft off the first load of the day to get the perfect spot. When you're putting out students whose first jumps are unassisted free falls with no talk-down under canopy, the spot had to be perfect. I'm so thankful that I retained that skill! I'm not saying that all my spots are perfect, but the basic knowledge has helped a lot. Back to the boogie story...some of the folks from the large GPS DZ were complaining about the plane not having GPS, along the lines of, "they could spend $200 and go buy a Garmin, and we wouldn't have all these problems landing out." IMHO, that attitude is 180º from what it should be. Maybe they should learn how to spot, and then we wouldn't have all those problems of landing out. Because I'd be willing to bet that there are a heck of a lot more DZ's out there without GPS then those that have it. Blue Skies!